Pityriasis versicolor (PV) also known as tinea versicolor, which is chronic and superficial fungal skin disease caused by Malassezia yeasts. A permanent cure may difficult to achieve and this may explain the long-term nature of the disease.

Consequently, a preventive treatment regimen may help to prevent the recurrence of pityriasis versicolor.

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The aim of the study is whether, the recurrence of tinea versicolor could be prevented by monthly itraconazole treatment regimen after a short course of itraconazole therapy.

Multi-center trial was characterized by an open, active treatment phase with itraconazole followed by a randomized placebo controlled treatment for prevention of recurrence.

A total 200 patients (150 male and 50 female) were included in this study and was given 200mg itraconazole daily for 7 days (treatment phase).

Patients in whom tinea versicolor was mycologically cured divided into Group A and Group B.

Active open treatment was followed by preventive itraconazole treatment 200mg twice daily in Group A and placebo in Group B monthly for 6 consecutive months. Clinical improvement in 90% and Mycological cure in 85.5% were found at the end of open treatment.

The mycological cure, 171 subjects were taken into this study for preventive treatment phase and divided into two groups- Group A & Group B. Preventive treatment was given in Group A and placebo in Group B.

After the preventive treatment, the end point (After 6 months), clinical improvement and mycological cure were found in 90% and 83.3% in Group A. No patient experienced any serious adverse effects. Prevention of recurrence of Pityriasis versicolor with itraconazole is as effective as treatment.